Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Speed Unlimited! The Nürburgring Restrictions Are Removed

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Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife removes its controversial speed restrictions today, allowing race teams and car-testing auto companies to once again put the hammer down for the entire length of the track. Following a crash last March that killed a bystander, the legendary racetrack had imposed speed limits on sections of its Nordschleife: 200 kph or 125 mph between Hocheichen and Schwedenkreuz, raised to 250 kph or 155 mph for the latter portion of that stretch, then 155 mph on Döttinger Höhe. The limits had been met with criticism because they seemed to contradict the purpose of the track. Now they have been lifted entirely.

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Over the winter, sections of the ‘Ring were repaved, and protective fences have been added. Now the track is deemed safe again, and the 2016 season’s first VLN race will take place on April 2 without limits. Spokesman Andreas Münzel pointed out that the speed limit only affected very few, highly professional teams, and because of the locations in which they were imposed, it required the drivers to refrain from staying on the throttle, but it didn’t force them to apply the brakes. Münzel said he isn’t aware of any instance where the limits were broken.

And while the ’Ring didn’t want to see any publicized record attempts last year, any carmaker that rented the track was essentially on their own anyway. This year, there’s even less to worry about. Put the pedal to the metal.